Cleaning mechanism



July 12, 1932 W. H. CAMPEN ET Al. 1,866,877

CLEANING MECHANI SM Filed June ll, 1931 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM I-I. CAMPEN AND JAMES R. SMITH, OF OMAHA,NEBRASKA CLEANING` MECHANISM Application filed .Tune 11, 1931.

B concrete.

As heretofore practiced the separation of foreign substances from sandand gravel has not been carried out to any great degree such as isrequired for making a good grade of concrete, and an object of thepresent invention is to provide a machine which is of simpleconstruction and one which may be economically used for properlyseparating foreign substances from thev sand and gravel prior to use inmaking a good grade of concrete mix.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine whichhas mechanical means for positively effecting the proper separation ofthe foreign substances from the sand and gravel and which does not relyupon mere sifting or gravitation and wherein the sand and gravel afterseparation may be easily and effectively conducted to various points ofdeposit or storage. j

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to thepresent invention, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail enlarged side elevation of one of the adjustablesupports for the rotary brush employed, and

Figure l is a vertical section taken through the same on the line 4 -4of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 indicates a spout or delivery memberand it may be in the form of a pipe line of a diameter of ten inches, orthe like, which is in operative communication with any suitable sourceof supply, not shown, and which may lead from a gravel pit. Usually, atthe gravel pit end of the pipe line 10 a flexible conduit Serial N0.543,720.

is provided through which the gravel, sand and loose earth are pumpedfrom the bottom of the pit by suitable pumping means, these materialsbeing conducted to the discharge end 11 of the pipe line 10 in the usualmanner.

The cleaning machine of this invention is provided at its upper end witha platform 12 having suitable marginal walls to, confine material on theupper surface of the platform, as shown in Fig. 2, this platformpreferably converges at its forward end toward the delivery pipe 10 andterminates beneath the delivery end 11 of the pipe and inclinesrearwardly therefrom to the opposite end of the machine. The platform 12Vthus receives the material and permits the material to gradually spreadout into a thin layer over the upper surface of the platform as thematerial is moved rearwardly thereover.

Arranged transversely over the rear end portion of the platform 12 is arotary brush 13. V'lhe brush 13 comprises a cylindrical body partcarrying a plurality of radially extending bristles 111 preferably ofspring steel wire so as to possess the necessary inherent resiliency.

The brush 13 is provided at opposite ends with trunnions or shaftsections 15 which have bearing in suitable boxes 16 as shownparticularly in Figs. 3 and 4, these boxes 16 are mounted to slidevertically in guide brackets 32 which are supported at opposite sides ofthe platform 12 upon the frame structure 17. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4L,the brush 13 may be vertically adjusted over the platform 12 andmaintained at a suitable operating distance therefrom depending upon thelength of the bristles 14, adjustment being made to lower the brush fromtime to time incident to the shortening of the radially disposedbristles 1li-incident to wear.

One of the axle sections 15 is provided with a sprocket wheel 18 overwhich passes a drive chain 19, the latter being driven by an electricmotor 20, or any other suitable source of power supply. Spaced acrossthe rear end of the platform or table 12 is a deflector or bevel plate21 which is mounted EGO upon the frame 17 and is inclined forwardly anddownwardly from a point spaced above the plane of the platform 12 to apoint located beneath the platform, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thisdeflector plate 21 has countersunlr in its inner face, and intermediateits upper and lower ends, a screen 22 of suitable mesh. A bin orc'nt'ainer 23 is mounted in the frame 17 beneath the lower forward endof the deileetor plate 21 to receive material from the deflector plate.The deflector plate 21 is provided. with an opening therethrough beneaththe screen 22, and a suitable receiver or container 24V is bolted orsecured against the under side of the deflecto'r plate 21 in registrywith the screen 22 and is adapted to receive material passing throughthe screen and conduct the material to a conveyor, or the like, whichmay lead to a gravel pit, or to any other suitable point of discharge.

A cleaning comb 25v is mounted upon the frame 17 across the upper sideof the platform or table 12, in spaced relation thereto `and at thefront sidev of the rotary brush 13. This comb 25 carries a plurality oftines or teeth 26 preferably of relatively stiff steel wire, or thelike, and which extend forwardly and rearwardly into the body ofbristles 14 so vas to clear Athe latter of acc`u mulations as the brush13 turns 'over foi"- wardly in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. i; Y

Arranged beneath the COllb 2 5 'and be; neath the forward side of thebrush 13 is a transversely disposed endless conveyor l 27 which ismounted upon Vsuitable rollers' 'disposed longitudinally 'at oppositesides of the platform 12 and which is driyen by a suitable gearmechanism `which is driven by a sprocket wheel 41 which engages theylower run of V the drive chain 1'9 andA which is mounted upon a shaft212 'carried by the adfjacentbracliet 32. The shaft 42 carries a beveledpinion 43 which meshes 'with 'a Jsecondbeveled pinion 44 carried ton theshaft 45 which is secured toene of 'the Yrollers of the conveyor27 fordriving` the latter when the. chain 1'9Y is operated.

yThe bearing blocks 1'6 for the opposite ends of the rotarybrush 13are'provide'd at their lower ends with outwardly eXtendin'g'arins 33beneath which engage jack screw's23 adapted. to be operated for raisingthe blocks 16 or for releasing the blocks so that the latter may ,slidedownwardly in the guide brackets 32. This admits of the properadjustment of the rotary brush 13 relative to the length of the bristlesEach block 16 is provided with a spring 37 which bears against the topof the block and which at its upper end is seated beneath a strip 38secured by Vscrews 39, Vor the like, across the upper ends of the guidebrackets 32 so that the springs 37 normally urge the blocks'l downwardlyupon the jack screws 34 and cause the blocks to follow the jack screwswhen lowered.

In operation, the sand, gravel, slit, earth and foreign substances aregathered in mixed condition from the bottom of the pit and aredischarged as a mass from the end 11 of the spout or pipe v10. This massfalls upon the forward end of the platform 12, spreads outwardlythereover into a thin layer or film and is forced downwardly toward therotary brush 13. As the material passes Over the upper surface of theplatform or table 12 it comes into contact with the bristles 14; of therotary brush 'and the bristles thus function to In operation, the sand,gravel, silt, earth from thesa'nd and gravel.

As Vthe bristles 14 revolve the accumulations of earth and foreignsubstances adhering'to the bristles 'are removed therefrom by the 'Ycomb teeth 26 and these foreign substances ral-1' toward the platform 12and are interposed by thev Atrans'versely moving belt 27 iivhi'chcarriesthe foreign substances to one side 'of the machine and discharges thesub- I ystances thereout. v

The sand and graveithus freed from the e'ar'th 'and theY like, strikeagainst the deflector 21 at the rear end of the machine and grav'tatedownwardly over this delleetoru plate and 'over the screen 22. Thescreen 22 sifts the sand and gravel into two separate 'commercial sizes.The finer size passes through the screen 22 into the spout 2l4 and isthus conductedy back into the pit in in-v stances where the' line sandis not desired;

The residue, 'or the larger particles of vsand and gravel pass over theupper surfaces ef the denector plate 21 and are deposited in the bin 23,andthe latter may be of the size of a carload, and'lif desired a c'arV36, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be positioned beneath the bin23 to receive the material therefrom if it is `desi-red to feed thematerial 'directfl'y through the opening.

- We do not wish to be restricted to the sine, form,-'an`d proportionsof the various parts, and 'obviously changes could be Inad'e in theconstruction herein described wit-hout 'departing from' the spirit yofthe invention, it "eing `only necessary that such changes fall withinthe scope 'of the appended 'cl-aims.

What is claimed is v:

1. In a cleaningmechanism for indurate substancescomprising a downwardlyinclined platform, a revolubl'e brush transverse-ly positionedadjacent'thfe roller edfge of said platform, a comb in operativecommunication with said brush and in longitudinal laline- Inenttherewith, 'and 'means for iin'p far-ting -revoluble movements tols'aidbrush. n

2. A machine for cleaning sand, gravel, and the like, comprising 'aplatform, means for feedingthe material Iover fthe upper sur- -facey ofthe platform, a brush member arranged transversely lacross the platformfor spreading the material into a thin layer and removing foreignsubstances from the material, separating means for receiving thematerial from the platform for passage from said brush member, acleaning device for said brushing member to remove the adhering foreignsubstances therefrom, and a transversely operable device beneath saidcleaning member to carry off the substances removed from the brushingmember.

3. A machine for cleaning sand and gravel comprising a platform, amachine for feeding the material in a thin layer over the upper surfaceof the platform a rotary brush mounted transversely across the platformfor engaging the material to remove earth and the like therefrom,adjustable means for raising and lowering the brush over the platform,cleaning means fior the brush, and means disposed adjacent the cleaningmeans for receiving the earth and other foreign substances therefromremoved from the brush.

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures.

WILLIAM H. CAMPEN. JAMES R. SMITH.

